Bosch stories
When craftsmen meet football

When craftsmen meet football

“Sports” and “Craftsmen” do not sound closely associated.

“Sports” and “Craftsmen” do not sound closely associated. Having said that, the spirit of sports lies in persistence, hard-work, and consistent self-improvement, a perfect match for the spirit of craftsmen who use concentration, precision and constant commitment to achieve their goals. How can we define “craftsmanship”? It represents the concentration to one specific trade, invention and innovation, and a devoted dedication to the process of making the best products. This spirit coincides with the spirit of sports -- With strenuous long-term training, athletes completely dedicate themselves in sports competitions and continuously break records.

The “Handwerker Cup” which recently took place in Stuttgart, Germany is one example of combining both craftsmanship and the sporting spirit. It’s a tournament only for craftsmen and encourages them to showcase their craftsmanship during a sports competition. This unique tournament also attracts the interest of related industries - for example, Bosch PT just cooperated with the event organizers to gather participants in crafting a gigantic soccer ball that broke the Guinness World Record.

The idea was to use Bosch circular saws to cut 2,623 hexagonal pieces that formed a gigantic mosaic of a soccer ball when put together. 480 "Handwerker Cup” participants received the invitation from Bosch along with dozens of Bosch employees and consumers who participated in the activity. The 529 participants in total worked together to create the world's largest "hexagonal football".

Before the campaign, Bosch engaged in many communications with the “Handwerker Cup” organizer. Inviting participants, preparing enough materials, arranging logistics, choosing the right site, designing the mosaic blueprint… All of this work required a lot of time and commitment. With the rigorous attitude of a craftsman and the spirit of an athlete, Bosch successfully completed all preparation work to ensure the campaign was launched with great success.

During the “Handwerker Cup”, the Bosch PT erected an onsite tent where participants could try using the GKS 235 Circular Saw to cut out wood pieces under the guidance of Bosch experts.

After receiving instructions, each participant received a pile of laminated hexagonal panels, cut by the Bosch Circular Saw. They then worked together to put each panel in its designated location to bring the giant football mosaic to life.

The Bosch GKS 235 used in this project is no doubt the star of circular saws. The shape of the incredibly cool tool is very helpful for workers when cutting pieces of wood. By using this tool, workers can cut with high precision and the power of the saw means it’s easier to get the job done. Not only can it be used for straight cuts, by adjusting the angle it can also be used for bevel cuts. By using this tool, you can easily show off your talent and cut small pieces of great work.

After the joint effort of all participants, the giant football was successfully completed and even broke the Guinness World Record. In Germany, it evoked a strong response from the media and public. Due to the extremely high precision of the Bosch Circular Saw, all of the hexagons perfectly matched the angles of the surrounding panels to form the ideal football shape.

To successfully cut such a large amount of hexagons to the exact same measurements and break the Guinness World Record is not easy. During the campaign, professional craftsmen successfully completed the task by applying their teamwork and hardworking sporting spirit along with the innovative craftsmanship and sophisticated technology they use in their daily work. This precious craftsmanship is indispensable in both sports competitions and industrial innovations, and is a core corporate value of Bosch PT.